Beardo: The Silly Hat Beard That Found Success

Born out of necessity on a cold Whistler mountaintop in 2006, the Beardo has grown into something of a phenomenon, with international attention and sales growing steadily since its launch just a few years ago.

Besides the patented bearded toque — essentially a knitted cap with a detachable face cover — Beardo also markets other convertible knitted products like the Houdini Beanie and the Beardo Cuddle.

Phillips said Beardo’s appeal, and the reason he was likely invited to pitch to the dragons, is that there’s nothing quite like it on the market.

“The product itself is functional. It’s amusing. And it gets a lot of attention,” he said. “It’s really unique and stereotypically Canadian.”

But, oddly enough, Canada is one of the smallest markets for the Beardo — well behind the U.S. and Europe — and Phillips is hoping his appearance on Dragon’s Den will help turn that around.